Tim Kennedy, Roger Gracie among list of Strikeforce fighters heading to the UFC

Over the past few weeks the UFC has announced a number of future match-ups featuring fighters formerly calling Strikeforce home. Now, with Strikeforce having promoted its final show this past weekend, the UFC has provided a list of competitors who are destined to debut at some point in the Octagon featuring both a few unexpected inclusions as well as omissions.

According to a report on UFC Tonight, at least fifteen fighters who aren’t already booked for bouts in the UFC will join the organization in 2013. Among them are middleweights Roger Gracie, Tim Kennedy, and Lorenz Larkin, as well as lightweights K.J. Noons, Ryan Couture, and Josh Thomson.

Couture and Gracie are particularly notable additions given the impact a few of their family members have had on the UFC. Couture, whose father Randy Couture is a UFC Hall of Famer and former champion, will mark the first second-generation star to take to the Octagon when he is officially unveiled, while Gracie’s last name is synonymous with the UFC based on the success of those who came before him including the original champion, Royce Gracie.

Though things could certainly change at some point, Josh Barnett was not mentioned, leaving fans to wonder if the highly-successful heavyweight will iron out his issues with UFC management or test his skills under a smaller company’s banner. Barnett beat his opponent last weekend by way of submission in the opening round of their rumble.

The full list of newly-named Strikeforce fighters headed to the UFC can be found below: